Self-Deception and Illusion

Where it surfaces

• I

  Colville's expectation that Florence would restore his former self is shattered; he must confront the illusion that he can recapture past emotions and purposes.

• V

  Miss Graham puzzles over Colville's character, wondering if his cynicism is a front; Mrs. Bowen suggests his bold front has become second nature, hinting at self-deception and the gap between appearance and reality.

• IX

  Colville and Imogene engage in a romantic fantasy of preexistence and secret pacts, masking deeper insecurities and regrets.

• Chapter X

  Colville's daydreams and the discussion about dreams versus reality underscore the theme of self-deception and the illusions people create.

• Chapter XI

  Colville realizes he has deceived himself about his motives, and Imogene's romantic notions are challenged.

• Chapter XIII

  Colville muses on how nature abandons us to 'taste and conscience,' and the characters grapple with self-deception about their motives and actions.

• Chapter XIV

  Colville's initial plan to leave Florence is revealed as a pretense; both he and Imogene grapple with the illusions they hold about each other and their own motives.

• Chapter XVI

  Colville insists Mrs. Bowen is kind and good despite Imogene's clear perception of her dislike, and he himself is torn between duty and genuine feeling.

• XVIII

  Colville acknowledges Imogene's 'mistaken pity' and her fantasy of restoring his youth, yet he admits he will 'drift' rather than break the engagement, revealing his own self-deception.

• XIX

  Imogene's grand notion of self-sacrifice and her belief that she can control the narrative of her relationship with Colville reveal her self-deception about the situation.

• Chapter XX

  Colville's inner turmoil and his attempt to maintain a cheerful facade while grappling with his promise to Imogene and the need to tell Mr. Morton.

• XXI

  Imogene had convinced herself she could learn to love Colville after marriage, a self-deception that collapses in the face of his near-death experience.

• Chapter XXII

  Colville's struggle to distinguish conscience from self-interest, and his admission of being flattered by Imogene's illusion.

• XXIII

  Colville's hope that Imogene's engagement to Mr. Morton would free him is shattered when he learns she refused him, revealing his self-deception.